Saint Nicholas Christmas Foundation helping seniors this holiday — and reaching out to families in western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Counting down to Christmas, your generosity can go a long way.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Nick Newell has already made the list; today, he’s checking it twice.
“There are still about 100 people left on the sight to purchase for,” says Newell. “There’s one less week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this year. That’s always challenging when you’re trying to raise money in a shortened window.”
Nick’s Saint Nicholas Christmas Foundation has a national reputation for helping seniors feel they’re not forgotten during the holidays. His efforts were even showcased on NBC’s Today. Items like blankets, socks, and toiletries can really be a bright spot for someone who has no family close by.
“Christmas season there’s a lot of focus on kids which is great because that’s a big segment of the population dependent on others for assistance and sometimes I think we forget there’s this secondary population that’s dependent on our help,” says Newell. “Every little bit helps. I truly mean that you get a couple of people who have 5 bucks and now I can go shopping for one more person. No gift is too small and we try to instill there’s a little Saint Nick in all of us.”
This year, the foundation’s mission is expanding a bit. Nick is helping not just seniors, but entire families, who’ve been hard hit by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.
“The pictures and videos don’t really do it justice,” says Newell. “There are no words in my vocabulary to describe the destruction I’ve seen.” This year Nick and his foundation have been working with Savage Santa. Savage Freedoms Relief Ops is the brainchild of a group of Green Berets who are on the ground helping get supplies and offer relief to those hurricane victims.
“The work being done there is extraordinary,” says Newell. “Western North Carolina would be a very different place today if not for all the regular citizens who’ve stepped in to help. It’s just that simple.”
To learn more about the Saint Nicholas Christmas Foundation and its efforts within six states, click here.
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